The Ultimate How Termites Work Quiz

Termites have a bad rep for destroying homes, but are they actually that bad? What do you really know about the lowly termite? Learn more about this adaptable insect and how termite colonies function as a giant cooperative community by taking this quiz.

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Question 1 of 20

For how many years do experts believe that the termite has existed?

for about 10 million years

for some 25 million years

for about 50 million years

They believe that termites have been around for about 50 million years. Evidence of termite existence has been found in many fossils.

Question 2 of 20

Approximately how many termite species live in the world today?

almost 3,000

There are close to 3,000 termite species. In Africa and Australia, termites build enormous mounds that can last longer than the colony itself can survive.

almost 2,000

almost 1,000

Question 3 of 20

Where can termites not live?

non-tropical areas

where there are no large trees

where ground deep freezes in the winter

Termites are most common in tropical environments, although they can live just about anywhere as long as the ground does not completely freeze in the winter. People commonly believe that termites are a form of ant, but they are closely related to cockroaches.

Question 4 of 20

How many castes or groups do termites fit into within a colony?

two

three

There are three castes or groups within every termite colony. The members of each caste have different jobs and quite different physical features.

four

Question 5 of 20

Approximately how many members of a terminate colony are reproductive termites?

usually only two

Most terminate colonies have only one king and queen that are responsible for all egg production. In some species, there are secondary or tertiary reproductives that assist with reproduction.

usually only six

usually only twelve

Question 6 of 20

How do termites find their way around in the nest and when seeking food?

They use very complex eyes that can see without any light.

All termites except for the king and queen are blind and move by feel.

All termites except for the king and queen are blind and move by using scent and moisture trails.

Only the king and queen have eyes, the rest of the termites are blind and navigate using scent in addition to moisture trails. Kings and queens are also usually darker than the rest of the termites in their colony.

Question 7 of 20

Is there an obvious difference in appearance between a soldier termite and a worker termite?

No, soldier and worker termites appear the same to any observer.

Yes, soldiers have large darker heads and strong pincer-like mandibles.

In most species, soldiers have large heads and strong, pincer-like mandibles, while soldiers' heads are often darker than their bodies. Some species can a secrete toxic substance from their heads.

Yes, soldiers have large transparent heads and have a lower and upper set of mandibles.

Question 8 of 20

What function do workers perform in a termite colony?

Worker termites dig tunnels, gather food and care for those too young to feed themselves.

Worker termites feed the king and queen termite as well as the soldiers.

Both of the above lists apply to worker termites.

Worker termites feed the king, queen and soldiers, who are unable to feed themselves. Workers have smaller, saw-toothed mandibles, which allow them to take small bites of wood and carry building materials.

Question 9 of 20

What are the mating habits of the king and queen of most species of termites?

They are monogamous and they continue to mate even though the queen can store sperm.

In most species, the king and queen are monogamous. Although the queen can store sperm in her body, she continues to mate with him periodically.

They mate only once as the queen can store sperm indefinitely.

The queen will spend most of her time with the king but occasionally will mate with a secondary reproductive.

Question 10 of 20

What part of wood does a termite’s food come from?

cellulose composed of glucose molecules

Termites get their food from the cellulose in wood, which is a compound made of identical glucose molecules.

lignin, the chief non-carbohydrate constituent of wood

hemicellulose, a polysaccharide

Question 11 of 20

If cellulose is a plant sugar, why is it that humans do not also eat wood?

Humans lack the special protein enzyme called cellulase that is required to break down the sugars in cellulose.

Humans lack the bacteria and protozoans required to break down cellulose to digestible sugars.

Humans lack both of the above either of which are required to break down cellulose.

Humans lack the special protein enzyme called cellulase required to break down the sugars in cellulose. Termites do not have cellulase either, but they use microorganisms consisting of bacteria and protozoans to break down cellulose fibers.

Question 12 of 20

Into how many categories do the organisms found in a termite’s hindgut divide termites?

two

There are two categories of termites, called the higher termites and the lower termites. Higher termites have bacteria in their gut but no protozoans, while lower termites have bacteria and protozoans.

three

four

Question 13 of 20

What is a significant feature of termites that gives them great survival agility?

Entire colonies of termites can hibernate for years during very dry spells.

Termites are in perpetual larval state and can molt into other castes except for the king and queen.

Termite eggs hatch into larvae, and through a series of molts, the larvae develop into workers. The workers can undergo a two-stage molt and become soldiers and older termites can even undergo regressive molts and revert to an earlier stage.

Entire colonies of termites can move migrate from their old nest and build a new nest rapidly.

Question 14 of 20

What happens when part of a termite colony swarms?

A swarm happens when workers molt into winged adults that are capable of reproducing.

Some workers molt into winged adults called alates, from the Latin word for "wing." The alates gather at an entrance to the colony and prepare to make their only flight, known as a nuptial flight, at which point they resemble winged ants.

A swarm happens when a new queen is born, the old queen ejects her and part of the colony decides to follow.

A swarm happens when a King is born causing a nearby female to molt into a queen others follow the new couple.

Question 15 of 20

What happens to the alates after they make their nuptial flight?

They land, break off their wings and seek a mate to pair up.

They will often walk for miles until the wings fall off after which the males will wait for a female to come along.

A male and female will pair up in flight, land together, they break off their wings and mate once sealed in a new nest.

After a male and female alate form a pair, they land and break off their wings. They look for shelter, typically in a small hole or depression that's near both soil and wood, then they seal this nest with saliva, soil and their own waste before mating.

Question 16 of 20

What percentages of termite species are beneficial to our planet and not destructive to homes at all?

90 percent

Many people think of termites as aggressive destroyers of homes and property, but about 90 percent of termite species are beneficial. They consume, digest and make use of dead and dying vegetation and some species also eat the waste of herbivores, which can contain undigested cellulose.

75 percent

60 percent

Question 17 of 20

What species of destructive and aggressive terminate was introduced to the United States by accident after World War II?

Asian Warier termite

Formosan termite

The accidentally imported Formosan termite colonies are bigger than native colonies, queens lay thousands of eggs each day, and a colony can include millions of workers. This invasive species is more aggressive, seeks ways to defeat termite barriers and there are more soldiers in each colony.

German Black Forest termite

Question 18 of 20

How long can a pre-building treatment of the soil at a construction site kill and repel termites?

at least seven years

at least five years

Professional pest-control companies can treat the ground at a building site with a substance that kills or repels termites. This treatment usually offers protection against termites for at least five years.

at least three years

Question 19 of 20

How can you tell termites in the form of alates apart from ants?

Ants antennae are bent and termite antennae do not bent but look like a fine straight string of pearls.

Ants have narrow waists but termites have wide waists.

Both of the above are true statements about ant and termite differences.

Ant antennae are bent, while termite antennae look like a fine, straight string of pearls. Ants have narrow waists, but termites do not; termite wings are all the same length, where ants have front wings that are longer than the back wings.

Question 20 of 20

What is a sure sign that termites have invaded your home?

You detect a persistent but faint odor of garlic that will not dissipate or disappear no matter what you try.

You notice the sudden appearance of shelter tubes running up your cinder blocks, concrete or brick.

Termites will build shelter tubes up cinderblocks, concrete, brick and other surfaces in order to get to your wood. Sometimes, if you break the tubes open, you will see live termite workers inside.